The Top 10 Novel Pitches in the Inkshares Sci-Fi and Fantasy Contest

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We’re right in the thick of our Inkshares Sci-fi and Fantasy contest, where five lucky authors will have their book published and one lucky author will get the chance to join the Nerdist Inkshares collection. And as we get closer and closer to the finish line, things are heating up in the Top 10. If you’ve entered the contest or are just following along, you’ll know that the competition is fierce, and authors are checking the leaderboard like wild.

And so, with just a few short weeks to go, we’ve gathered the Inkshares Top 10 (as of September 8, 5 p.m. PST) to share their very best book pitches with you.

Welcome to Deadland is Lost meets The Walking Dead, where a ragtag team of characters are thrust together in an abandoned theme park as an outbreak decimates humanity, turning the infected into monsters. But outside forces are at play as questions arise not only from where the disease originated, but also from whom.

Single Version is part Cyberpunk, part New Weird–a nightmare-scape of oppressive technologies where everyone is armed and the ecosystem is overrun by cockroaches. An entomophobic pacifist tries to survive (and stay sane) in a land of constant danger and creeping dread, where genuine humanity is in short supply.

This novel came from my childhood dreams of taking on the roles of my favorite characters, like Taran from Prydain, Aragorn from Middle Earth. Those guys all had these fabulous adventures, so why couldn’t I? It’s All Fun and Games follows six high school friends as they do exactly that.

The Catcher’s Trap is the story of a young man fighting for his life and his freedom, in a world where demonic supernatural beings have enslaved humans. This is the origin story of a hero born out of the darkest struggle of the human soul.

Ophelia, Doll is the tale of a lonely, dissatisfied young girl whose only comfort is the supernatural pact she made with her beloved, dying grandmother. When the mysterious Impresario comes to town with his traveling show, Ophelia thinks she’s found the answer to her ordinary life. But at what cost?

A malevolent god has inadvertently been imprisoned in the McKenzys’ backyard shed. Even bound, this unparalleled evil corrupts and twists the village of St-Fedinand. Terrible beauty and beautiful terror bleed through the façade of this quiet community, unraveling a dark past that can no longer be ignored.

In 3point8, a father spirals into grief after the loss of his child. But is she dead or has she been taken by ancient beings who prey on humanity? Inspired by a real life tragedy, 3point8 examines the horrors of grief and loss that all too many people are forced to face.

Firefly meets The Handmaid’s Tale in the first installment of an intergalactic space opera (set mostly on present-day Earth). It’s an ensemble character study dressed up as a pulp adventure, a sociopolitical commentary with secret superpowers, and a serious work that’s really quite funny. Read it.

Crippled by self-doubt over bungling the simplest summonings, fifteen-year-old Tommandros must survive the road where brigands await to steal his powers—or take his life—in order to reach the Summoner’s trials where he must prove himself worthy of his Calling or lose the legacy he never knew he had.

Have you entered the contest? Which book is your favorite so far? Let us know in the comments below!